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Chapter 7
In this chapter the children further investigate the island and Jack and Ralph go to the top of the mountain. They decide there really is a beast. Summary Continuing from the previous chapter, the boys are still unnerved after their first encounter with 'the beast' and therefore warily explore the island. They are ambushed by a bore which Ralph manages to attack with his spear whilst the others cannot. Ralph and Jack then proceed to go up the mountain to find the beast whilst Simon goes to see whether Piggy is alright with the other children. Characters Ralph here has realised that the tribe is dysfunctional, this is quite a realisation for a chief to make and doubtlessly came as quite a blow to his psyche. Maturing this fast has meant that the boys see him more as a leader than a friend now and so when they are on their journey, Jack seems to be the favourite (at least among the hunters) and Ralph realises that he may be losing faith of some people to Jack. Jack on the other hand is probably having a great time, he persuades the chief to go hunting on their trek, performs an act to entertain the others and even plucks up the courage to threaten Ralph. When they finally face the 'beastie' however, all bravery and humiliation is forgotten as they run for what must have seemed like their lives. Setting Exploring the island seems to be less exciting on the second trip and second day and the hunters in particular seem very used to the forest. A boar is easily caught as the forest is more navigatable now though it is too large and escapes. The island is also taking its toll and living in the wild is dulling the civilised senses of some boys. Collectively, they injure Robert when pretending he is a pig and this is probably not something they would have done had they not been trapped on an island for so long. When it gets dark, even Ralph and Jack are frightened and it takes a lot of pressure to persuade any of them to climb the cliff which atop homes the 'beastie'. Rationality goes out the window in the dark and the boys are terrified even together while they may have faced the beast in daylight. This fear makes the trip pointless so they can only hope that the day is less frightening. Themes and Writing Style Courage is a new theme in this chapter, partnered with the battle for leadership between Ralph and Jack. As the situation seemingly becomes more dangerous, Ralph plucks up the courage not only to face a charging wild bore, but to challenge his (and the other boys') own fear of the beast atop the mountain. He understands the importance of a signal fire and couragously scales the mountain. This concept and theme directly links in with leadership as courage is a key aspect in a leader. Leadership and the battle for it is, as previously mentioned, a key theme in this chapter as Ralph and Jack begin to directly conflict each other in a battle for the other boys' support. Luckily for Ralph, his given leadership is still more powerful than Jack's hunting authority, but the balance is tipping and this could soon change. Conclusion and Final Comment So, overall in this chapter the characters are slightly developed, further showing their fear of the beast. Also, a new theme of courage is introduced as Ralph shows himself as a strong leader for the group, taking the lead even when the other children are terrified. Jack is still an eager hunter, but does not challenge Ralph directly, even though his distaste becomes quite obvious.